Consultation Response on Valuing Medicines - A Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Medicines in Northern Ireland

Overview

Medicines have a vital role in helping to prevent, treat, and cure disease. They are our most common medical intervention and are relied upon to support health and wellbeing throughout life. However, medicines costs in Northern Ireland (NI) are increasing annually and have reached an all-time high of £875 million per year. We need to take action to protect access to medicines for the future.

Despite efforts to improve the efficient use of medicines in NI, our prescribing rates and costs per person remain consistently higher than in other countries within the United Kingdom. Without change, the Health and Social Care (HSC) service will struggle to continue funding expensive new medicines and technologies and keep up with the demand of an increasing and ageing population. Furthermore, the environmental impact of medications is significant, accounting for approximately 25% of carbon emissions within the National Health Service. Prescription medicines cannot be re-used by the HSC after supply to patients, levels of waste are too high, and there is a pressing need to reduce the carbon footprint of medicines and mitigate environmental risks.

This strategy sets out what we intend to do to help ensure the sustainable use of medicines and embed a culture of valuing medicines within our population and the HSC.

The aim is to embed sustainable practice into all health and social care settings, promoting a culture that:

• Allows equitable access to appropriate, safe and cost-effective medicines.
• Involves patients in decisions about their medicines, promotes preventive care, and offers options alongside prescribed medicines.
• Reduces waste and the environmental impact of medicines.
• Drives improvement through data, technology, research and innovation.

Businesses and citizens all benefit from the public services and amenities provided by the government. Contributing to these services helps ensure they remain available and continue to improve for the future.

The Department of Health (DoH) is therefore seeking views on ‘Valuing Medicines - A Strategy for the Sustainable use of Medicines in Northern Ireland’. Please note that it is advised that respondents should first read the consultation document before attempting to respond to these consultation questions.

Why your views matter

Your voice matters, and your perspective is invaluable in designing a strategy for the sustainable use of medicines in NI. It is really important to have your say in how public services are shaped. The decisions made today will have far-reaching consequences for generations to come.

Privacy notice

We respect your privacy. Any personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with data protection laws. We will not publish your personal details.

Being transparent and providing accessible information to individuals about how we may use personal data is a key element of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The DoH is committed to building trust and confidence in our ability to process your personal information and protect your privacy.

For information on how we process your information, please see the privacy notice included within the consultation response word document located below and on the Valuing Medicines Strategy consultation homepage on the Department of Health website.